That's mo business

Ladies, which do you like best: rising star Aaron Glenane with facial furniture, or without the fuzz?

Funnily enough, when the actor grew thick sideburns and matching mo for his breakthrough leading role as Sam Worthington's mate in 1970s surf blockbuster Drift, his girlfriend preferred the fur.

Now the film's wrapped and screens from May 2, Glenane's extra hair is gone — and so is the girlfriend.

"Maybe that's why," the 26-year-old muses, speaking to S from his Sydney home. "I kept it all for a week, but I felt like I was still my character, so it had to go."

Drift follows a group of young Australian blokes — Worthington, Twilight's Xavier Samuel and Myles Pollard — who kick-start the global surfing industry. Glenane plays Gus, a bloke with a limp from childhood polio. "It doesn't go that well for him," Glenane says.

In real life, though, things are going very well, with Drift tipped as a hit and Glenane left with fond memories of filming "surrounded by great guys".

This wasn't the plan. From an early age, Glenane was hell-bent on being a basketball player like his hero, Michael Jordan. But he stopped growing.

"I'm about 179 centimetres," Glenane says. "That's not enough."

After failed flirtations with other sports, including running and even table tennis, Glenane was encouraged by his mum to take drama lessons.

Glenane quickly shone, scored a place in Dein Perry's Tap Dogs troupe, TV roles followed and now he's made the big time — but not in sport. "I wouldn't have picked it," he said. "But mum was right."

He's cute, he's successful and, astonishingly in Sydney, he's still "definitely single". But maybe this is why: "I still have a big poster of Michael Jordan on my bedroom wall," he said. "He's my idol! But I'm 26 and I guess maybe he needs to come down now."

Jack the best of British

When it comes to British blokes, we haven't been seeing the funny side lately, with former Sex Pistol John Lydon and his unchivalrous on-air antics towards The Project presenter Carrie Bickmore.

So thank goodness for British comedian Jack Dee, who's on his way to the Sydney Comedy Festival to perform his latest show. Dee's signature grumpiness does not extend to women. In fact, he rates the female acts he's seen in the festival line-up as among the funniest. "There's a huge amount of female talent here," he says.

Married to a Kiwi, Jane, the man with the famously deadpan delivery possibly understands antipodean humour better than some of his compatriots. "It is different," he says. "I've found people more light-hearted here. In London, audiences seem to take it all more seriously."

Dee has been a household name in Britain for more than two decades and has fronted and written for more than five TV shows. He's been enjoying the party atmosphere of the comedy festival during run-up performances in Melbourne, catching up with comedian mates including Australia's own Adam Hills, whose career has skyrocketed in Britain.

With more than 150 shows, the festival is one of the world's biggest gatherings of funny people. "This is a huge festival – better than other biggies like Montreal," Dee says. "Everyone is always excited about performing here. Personally speaking, I'm always excited to see the Opera House in the flesh. To me, it's the most iconic building in the world."

Like any good Sydneysider, he's already poking fun at our southern cousins. "There's lots of material here," he says of Melbourne. "For starters, I've noticed they're very good at crossing the road. They obey the traffic commands. They probably have to – there are trams everywhere."

And he hasn't bumped into Johnny Rotten. "I expect he's been having lunch with Germaine Greer."

The Sydney Comedy Festival runs from Monday to May 11. Jack Dee performs at the Enmore Theatre on April 28.

Bordering on doggy chaos

It sounds like the cast of a new canine movie: 101 Border Collies. TV vet and author Dr Katrina Warren is often surrounded at training displays by four or five of her favourite dog breed, with her border collie mates The Wonderdogs (pictured). Next Saturday she'll be hanging out with at least 200 – or maybe more. She'll be attempting the Guinness World Record for most dogs in one photo shoot at her Border Collie Fun Day at Castle Hill Showground. Border collies and their humans will converge from throughout the country, and Warren is prepared for some extraordinary scenes.

"I have been truly blown away by the response," she says. "We now have someone flying their dog all the way from WA to attend. We also have . . . car loads of people and dogs doing road trips from every state.

"There are groups of people who have never met hooking up to do road-trip adventures together with their border collies. It is crazy, but a testament to how much people love their dogs."